navigation and ancillary information facility nif “camera-matrix” kernel ck (orientation or...

Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility

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“Camera-matrix” KernelCK

(Orientation or Attitude Kernel)

Emphasis on reading CK files

November 2014


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CK File Contents - 1

• A CK file holds orientation data for a spacecraft or a moving structure on the spacecraft– “Orientation data” quaternions, from which orientation matrices are

formed by SPICE software. These matrices are used to rotate position vectors from a base reference frame (the “from” frame) into a second reference frame (the “to” frame)

» In SPICE this is often called the “C-matrix or “Camera matrix”– Optionally may include angular velocity of the “to” frame with respect to

the “from” frame » Angular velocity vectors are expressed relative to the “from” frame.

• A CK file should also contain comments–sometimes called metadata–that provide some details about the CK such as:– the purpose for this particular CK– when and how it was made– what time span(s) the data cover


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CK File Contents - 2

• A single CK file can hold orientation data for one, or for any combination of spacecraft or their structures – Some examples

1. Huygens Probe2. Cassini Orbiter and its CDA instrument mirror3. Mars Express Orbiter, PFS scanner, Beagle Lander4. MRO orbiter, MRO high gain antenna, MRO solar arrays

• In most cases CKs contain data for just one structure


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CK File Varieties - 1

• “Reconstruction” CK (also called “definitive” CK)– A CK file can be made from orientation telemetry returned from a

spacecraft or other structure– A CK might also be made from some process that improves upon the

pointing determined from downlinked telemetry ("C-smithing")– These kinds of files are generally used for science data analysis or

spacecraft performance analysis

• “Predict” CK– A CK file can be made using information that predicts what the

orientation will be some time in the future» Input data usually come from a modeling program, or a set of

orientation rules– This kind of file is generally used for engineering assessment, science

observation planning, software testing and quick-look science data analysis

» If it has good fidelity, such a file might be used to “fill in the data gaps” of a reconstruction CK file

» In some cases (ESA in particular) the predict meets the reconstruction accuracy requirements; thus a true reconstruction CK is not generally produced


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CK File Varieties - 2

• Knowledge of CK variety–”reconstruction” or “predict”–might be implicit in the file naming schema, and/or might be provided in the comment section, but is not available using a SPICE API

• It is inadvisable that both “reconstruction” and “predict” data be combined in a single file


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CK Data Types Concept

The underlying orientation data are of varying types, but the user interface to each of these CK types is the same.

CKType 1

CKType 2

CKType 3

CKType 5

DiscretePoints

Piecewise ConstantAngular Velocity

LinearInterpolation

ChebyshevPolynomials

ESOCDDID

Discretedatatype

“Continuous”data

types

Any CK Reader Module

CKType 4

Rotation matrix and Angular Velocity

6


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• To obtain orientation one needs at least three SPICE kernel types: CK, SCLK, and LSK.

– CK contains spacecraft or other structure orientation

– SCLK and LSK contain time correlation coefficients used to convert between ephemeris time (ET) and spacecraft clock time (SCLK)

» Sometimes an LSK is not needed in this conversion, but best to have it available as it is usually needed for other purposes

• One may also need an FK if planning to access CK data via high level SPICE interfaces.

– FK associates reference frames with CK data via CK IDs

Kernel Data needed


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What SPICE Routines Access CKs?

• High-level SPICELIB routines are used more often than the “original” CK readers to access CK data. These high-level routines are:

– Position or state transformation matrix determination» PXFORM, PXFRM2: return a rotation matrix (3x3) from one frame

to another, either of which can be a CK-based frame or have CK-based frames as “links” in its chain

» SXFORM: return a state transformation matrix (6x6) from one frame to another, either of which can be a CK-based frame or have CK-based frames as “links” in its chain

– Position or state vector determination» SPKPOS: return a position vector (3x1) in a specified frame, which

can be a CK-based frame or have CK-based frames as “links” in its chain

» SPKEZR: return a state vector (6x1) in a specified frame, which can be a CK-based frame or have CK-based frames as “links” in its chain

• Use of the above mentioned routines is discussed in the FK, Using Frames, and SPK tutorials

• The “original” CK access routines are CKGP and CKGPAV– Use of these routines is described in the BACKUP section of this

tutorial


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An Example of Project CK Files

CASSINI HUYGENS CASSINISPACECRAFT PROBE CDA MIRROR

-82000 -150000 -82791

A user’s program must be able to load as many of these files as needed to satisfy his/her requirements. It is strongly recommended that user’s programs have the flexibility to load a list of CK files provided to the program at run time; this is easily accomplished using the Toolkit's FURNSH routine.


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CassiniOrbiter:

HuygensProbe:

CassiniCDA Mirror:

Time line: Launch Orbit

InsertionProbe

ReleaseEnd of

Mission

cruise phase

* Note: This is not an actual Cassini/Huygens scenario; it is a highly simplified illustration of some of the possibilities for orientation delivery on a planetary mission.

Sample* CK File Coverage - 1


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Even though a project's CK production process may suggest that CK files provide continuous coverage for the interval of time for which they were generated, in reality this is rarely the case. CK files almost always contain gaps in coverage! Below is an example of this.

Coverage of …

a CK file:as appears in file name/comments

CK file segments:as appears in ckbrief/spacit summary

CK segments showing data gaps:

Summary of pointing available to the CK reader for this CK file:

Sample CK Data Coverage - 2

(CK Types 2 - 6)

Blue line segments represent interpolation intervals–times when pointing will be returned and the FOUND flag set to “TRUE.”

Time

Tstart Tstop


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What is an Interpolation interval?

• An interpolation interval is a time period for which the CK reader routines can compute and return pointing.

– For CK Types 3, 5 and 6 the pointing is computed by interpolating between the attitude data points that fall within the interval.

– For CK Type 2 the pointing within each interval is computed by extrapolating from a single attitude and associated angular velocity.

– For CK Type 4 the pointing is computed by evaluating polynomials covering the interval.

– For CK Type 1 (discrete pointing instances) the notion of an interpolation interval is not relevant.

• The time periods between interpolation intervals are gaps during which the CK readers are not able to compute pointing.

• The interpolation intervals in Type 3 CK segments can be modified without changing the actual pointing data.

– The CKSPANIT and CKSMRG programs are used to make these changes.


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Coverage - Contrast CK with SPK

• SPKs usually have continuous coverage for the objects included

– You can get a result (an answer) at any time

• CKs often have lots of gaps!– Due to missing or bad telemetry packets from the spacecraft

• Any “high-level” SPICE API that needs to use a CK to help determine a reference frame orientation will NOT return a result for any time falling in a CK gap!

– The orange bars above are called “interpolation intervals”– The white spaces between the orange bars are gaps

ENDSTART

ENDSTART

SPK:

CK:


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Obtaining Coverage of CK File

• High-level subroutine interfaces allow for obtaining CK coverage information.

– Call CKOBJ to find the set of structures for which a specified CK provides data.» INPUT: an CK file name and initialized SPICE integer “Set” data structure.

The set may optionally contain ID codes obtained from previous calls.» OUTPUT: the input set, to which have been added (via set union) the ID

codes of structures for which the specified CK provides coverage.CALL CKOBJ ( CK, IDS )

– Call CKCOV to find the window of times for which a specified CK file provides coverage for a specified structure:

» INPUT: a CK file name, structure ID code, flag indicating whether angular rates are needed, flag indicating whether coverage on segment or interval level is to be returned, tolerance, output time system, and initialized SPICE double precision “Window” data structure. The window may optionally contain coverage data from previous calls.

» OUTPUT: the input window, to which have been added (via window union) the sequence of start and stop times of coverage intervals of the specified CK, expressed as encoded SCLK or ET seconds past J2000.CALL CKCOV ( CK, ID, NEEDAV, LEVEL, TOL, TIMSYS, COVER)

• See the headers of these routines for example programs.• Also see the CELLS, SETS and WINDOWS Required Reading for

background information on these SPICE data types.


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Using CKCOV

• When using high-level routines* that need orientation data from a C-kernel, it's often a good idea to first determine what are the valid interpolation intervals in your CK using CKCOV.

– If using multiple CKs, all of which are needed to construct a frame chain, call CKCOV for each one and then intersect the coverage windows. (wnintd is the SPICE intersection API.)

• Then check each time of interest for your geometry calculations against the window of valid intervals before proceeding onwards.

* For example: SPKEZR, SPKPOS, SXFORM, PXFORM, SINCPT


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Determine Coverage Using Utilities

• Three Toolkit utility programs can provide various kinds of CK summaries, including listings of gaps or of interpolation intervals

– CKBRIEF– FRMDIFF– SPACIT


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Summarizing a CK file - 1

• A brief summary of a CK can be made using CKBRIEF– At your command prompt, type the program name followed by the names of

CK, LSK and SCLK files (given in any order)

% ckbrief 07102_07107ra.bc naif0008.tls cas00106.tsc CKBRIEF Ver 3.2.0, 2006-11-02. SPICE Toolkit Version: N0061. Summary for: 07102_07107ra.bc Object: -82000 Interval Begin ET Interval End ET AV ------------------------ ------------------------ --- 2007-APR-12 00:01:06.462 2007-APR-17 00:01:03.726 Y


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• A summary of interpolation intervals in a CK can be made using CKBRIEF using its ‘-dump’ option

% ckbrief –dump 07102_07107ra.bc naif0008.tls cas00106.tsc CKBRIEF Ver 3.2.0, 2006-11-02. SPICE Toolkit Version: N0061. Summary for: 07102_07107ra.bc Segment No.: 1 Object: -82000 Interval Begin ET Interval End ET AV ------------------------ ------------------------ --- 2007-APR-12 00:01:06.462 2007-APR-12 05:58:02.576 Y 2007-APR-12 05:58:22.576 2007-APR-12 21:34:26.221 Y . . . continued on next page


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• A summary of interpolation intervals in a CK can also be made using FRMDIFF with its ‘-t dumpc’ option• A summary of gaps within interpolation intervals in a CK can be made using FRMDIFF with its ‘-t dumpg’ option

% frmdiff -t dumpg \ –k cas_v40.tf naif0008.tls cas00106.tsc \ -f 'YYYY-DOYTHR:MN:SC ::RND’ \ 07102_07107ra.bc## . . . <FRMDIFF report header> . . .## gap_start, gap_stop, gap_duration_sec, gap_duration_string2007-102T05:56:57 2007-102T05:57:17 19.999 0:00:00:19.9992007-102T21:33:21 2007-102T21:33:41 19.999 0:00:00:19.9992007-102T21:34:57 2007-102T21:35:25 27.999 0:00:00:27.999. . .

continued from previous page


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• A detailed summary of a CK can be made using SPACIT. See the SPACIT User's Guide for details.

-------------------------------------------------------------- Segment ID : CASSINI ATT: -Y TO TITAN, +Z - VELCTY Instrument Code: -82000 Spacecraft : Body -82, CAS Reference Frame: Frame 1, J2000 CK Data Type : Type 3 Description : Continuous Pointing: Linear Interpolation Available Data : Pointing and Angular Velocity UTC Start Time : 2005 FEB 15 07:59:59.999 UTC Stop Time : 2005 FEB 15 08:59:59.998 SCLK Start Time: 1/1487147147.203 SCLK Stop Time : 1/1487150747.209-------------------------------------------------------------- . . . . etc. etc.


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CK Utility Programs

• The following CK utility programs are included in the Toolkit:CKBRIEF summarizes coverage for one or more CK filesSPACIT generates segment-by-segment summary of a CK fileCOMMNT reads, appends, or deletes comments in an CK fileMSOPCK converts attitude data provided in a text file into a CK fileFRMDIFF samples or compares orientation of CK-based frames

• These additional CK utility programs are provided on the NAIF Web site

CKSLICER subsets a CK fileCKSMRG merges segments in a type 3 CK file (*)DAFCAT concatenates together CK files (*)CKSPANIT modifies interpolation interval information in a Type 3 CK fileDAFMOD alters structure or frame IDs in a CK fileprediCkt creates a CK file representing an orientation profile described

by a set of orientation rules and a scheduleBFF displays binary file format of a CK fileBINGO converts CK files between IEEE and PC binary formats

(*) DAFCAT and SKSMRG are frequently used together to first merge many CK files into a single file using DAFCAT and then merge segments inside the merged file using CKSMRG.


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Additional Information on CK

• For more information about CK, look at the following documents

– CK Required Reading– headers for the CKGP and CKGPAV routines– Most Useful SPICELIB Routines– CKBRIEF and FRMDIFF User’s Guides– Frames tutorials: FK and Using Frames don’t miss

these– Porting_kernels tutorial

• Related documents– SCLK Required Reading– Time Required Reading– Frames Required Reading– NAIF_IDS Required Reading– Rotations Required Reading


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Backup

• The meaning of Tolerance

• Examples of Problems Encountered When Using CK Subsystem

• Using the CK “reader” APIs


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The Meaning of Tolerance - 1

• The CKGP and CKGPAV routines use a time tolerance, “tol,” measured in ticks, in executing pointing lookups.– No matter whether your CK is a discrete type (Type 1) or a

continuous type (Types 2 - 6), if pointing information is not found within +/- tol of your pointing request time, no pointing will be returned and the “found flag” will be set to “FALSE.”

– For Type 1 (discrete) CKs, the pointing instance nearest* to your request time will be returned, as long as it is within tol of your request time.» If the nearest pointing instances on each side of your

request time are equidistant from your request time, the later instance will be selected.

– For Types 2 - 6 (continuous pointing), pointing for exactly your request time will be returned if this time falls anywhere within an interpolation interval.

– For all Types, the time tag associated with the pointing data will also be returned.

*Ignoring segment priority


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SCLKDP TOL \ / | | |/ \ Your request [---+---] . . . Available data (0----0--0--0--0--0---0--0--0--0-----0--0--0) A SPICELIB CK reader returns this pointing instance


• “0” is used to represent discrete pointing instances (quaternions)• “()” are used to represent the end points of a segment within a CK file• SCLKDP is the time at which you have requested pointing• TOL is the time tolerance you have specified in your pointing request• The quaternions occurring in the segment need not be evenly spaced in time

When reading a Type 1 CK containing discrete pointing instances


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SCLKDP \ TOL | / |/\ Your request [--+--] . . . Available data (==----=============---======------===--)

A SPICELIB CK reader returns pointing at precisely the requested epoch

When reading a Type 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 CK (continuous pointing), with a “pointing request” that falls within a span of continuous pointing (an “interpolation interval”)

• “==” is used to indicate interpolation intervals of continuous pointing• “()” are used to represent the end points of a segment within a CK file• SCLKDP is the time at which you have requested pointing• TOL is the time tolerance you have specified in your pointing request; for this particular case it does not come into play• The quaternions occurring in the periods of continuous pointing need not be evenly spaced in time


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SCLKDP \ TOL | / |/\ Your request [--+--] . . . Available data (--==============----======------===--) A SPICELIB CK reader returns pointing at the epoch closest to the request time, if this is within TOL of that request time.

When reading a Type 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 CK (continuous pointing), with a “pointing request” that is NOT within a span of continuous pointing (an “interpolation interval”)

• “==” is used to indicate interpolation intervals of continuous pointing• “()” are used to represent the end points of a segment within a CK file• SCLKDP is the time at which you have requested pointing• TOL is the time tolerance you have specified in your pointing request• The quaternions occurring in the periods of continuous pointing need not be evenly spaced in time


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Problems using CK - 1

• The file or files you loaded do not contain orientation data for the object of interest.

– Make sure the ID that you use in a call to CKGP or CKGPAV matches one in the CK file(s) you have loaded.

– Make sure the frame that you specify in a call to SXFORM, PXFORM, SPKEZR, or SPKPOS is transformable to one available in the loaded CK files.

• CKGP or CKGPAV returns a transformation matrix and/or angular velocity that does not appear correct.

– Probably the FOUND flag is “FALSE” and you are using data left over from a previous query. Remember to always check the FOUND flag! (If the FOUND flag is “TRUE” but the data seem bad, contact the data producer.)


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• The file, or files, you loaded do not cover the time at which you requested orientation

– Check file coverage on the segment level by summarizing the file(s) using CKBRIEF or SPACIT

– Check interpolation interval coverage using CKBRIEF with option “-dump,” or by examining comments provided in the comment area of the file - you may be asking for data within a coverage gap (outside of interpolation intervals)

• One of the frames routines (SPKEZR, SPKPOS, SXFORM, PXFORM, SINCPT) signals an error

– All frames routines read CK files using tolerance = 0 » For discrete CKs (Type 1) the orientation of a CK-based frame

will be computed only if the time provided to a Frames routine exactly matches one of the times stored in the CK file; otherwise an error will be signaled.

» For continuous CKs (all but Type 1) the orientation of a CK-based frame will be computed only if the time provided to a frame routine falls within one of the interpolation intervals defined by the CK file; otherwise an error will be signaled.


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• You’ve confirmed not having any of the previously described problems, but the FOUND flag comes back “FALSE” when using CKGPAV, or SXFORM or SPKEZR signals a frame related error.

– You are using a SPICE routine that expects angular velocity as well as orientation, but the CK segments available at your requested epoch don’t contain angular velocity.

» Routines expecting AV are: CKGPAV, SXFORM, SPKEZR» Routines not expecting AV are: CKGP, PXFORM, SPKPOS


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• The FOUND flag comes back “TRUE” when using CKGPAV but returned angular velocity does not appear correct.

– While many sources of angular rate data, for example spacecraft telemetry, specify it relative to the spacecraft frame, SPICE CK files store it, and CKGPAV returns it, with respect to the base frame. So the sense of returned angular velocity in a CK may be unexpected.

• The FOUND flag comes back “TRUE” when using CKGP/CKPGAV but the quaternion computed from the returned transformation matrix via a call to M2Q does not appear correct.

– The quaternion returned by M2Q follows the SPICE style, which is different from the quaternion styles used by some other sources of orientation data, for example most spacecraft telemetry.

» See the headers of the M2Q and Q2M routines, and the Rotations Required Reading technical reference document for more details.

» NAIF also prepared and can provide a “white paper” explaining differences between various quaternion styles commonly used in space applications.


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• You’re trying to use a CK file that is not properly formatted for your computer

– You can read only a binary CK file with the CK subroutines; you can’t read a “transfer format” file

» Although not required, binary CK files often have a name like “xxxxxx.bc”

» Although not required, transfer format CK files often have a name like “xxxxxx.xc”

– If using Toolkit Version N0051 or earlier you must have the proper kind of CK binary file for your computer (a native binary file)

» Sun, HP, SGI and MAC (Motorola cpu) use the unix binary standard

» PC (Windows or Linux) uses its own binary standard» The pair of utility programs named TOBIN and TOXFR, or the

utility program SPACIT, can be used to port CK files between computers having incompatible binary standards


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Initialization ... typically once per program run

Tell your program which SPICE files to use (“loading” files) CALL FURNSH( 'lsk_file_name' ) CALL FURNSH( 'sclk_file_name' ) CALL FURNSH( 'ck_file_name' )

Loop ... do as often as you need

Convert UTC to SCLK ticks * CALL STR2ET( 'utc_string', tdb ) CALL SCE2C ( spacecraft_id, tdb, sclkdp )

Get rotation matrix, or rotation matrix and angular velocity at requested time CALL CKGP (instid,sclkdp,tol,'ref_frame',cmat, clkout,found) CALL CKGPAV (instid,sclkdp,tol,'ref_frame',cmat,av,clkout,found) inputs outputs

* Although most spacecraft have a single on-board clock and this clock has the same ID as the spacecraft, the user should know which SCLK was used to tag data in a CK file in order to specify the correct ID in a call to SCE2C.

One Example of How To Read a CK File

or

Better yet, use a “furnsh kernel”to load all the needed files.


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instid NAIF ID for the spacecraft, instrument or other structure for which the orientation is to be returned

sclkdp the time at which the orientation matrix and angular velocity are to be computed. The time system used is encoded spacecraft clock time (SCLK). The units are ticks since the zero epoch of the clock

tol* the tolerance, expressed as number of SCLK ticks, to be used in searching for and computing the orientation data

ref_frame the name of the reference frame with respect to which the orientation is to be computed. This is also called the “base” or “from” frame.

cmat the 3x3 rotation matrix that you requestedav the angular velocity that you requestedclkout the exact time for which the orientation and angular velocity was computedfound the logical flag indicating whether the orientation and angular velocity data

were found. Note that if the loaded CK file(s) do not contain angular velocity data, CKGPAV will return a FALSE found flag even if orientation could have been computed. If “found” is .FALSE., then the values of the output arguments “cmat” and “av” are undefined and should not be used!

Always check the FOUND flag returned by CKGPAV and CKGP!

* tol is explained in detail in backup slides

Arguments of CKGPAV

Inputs

Outputs

navigation and ancillary information facility nif “camera-matrix” kernel ck (orientation or...

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